US rig count rises across the board

US drilling activity increased across the board this week with 1,585 rotary rigs working, 14 more than the previous week and up from 943 in the comparable period a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

July 23, 2010

2 min read

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, July 23 -- US drilling activity increased across the board this week with 1,585 rotary rigs working, 14 more than the previous week and up from 943 in the comparable period a year ago, Baker Hughes Inc. reported.

Land operations increased by 11 rigs to 1,557 drilling. Inland waters activity added 1 rig for a total of 14 this week. Even offshore drilling increased for a change, despite federal curtailments because of the Macondo blowout. The number of rigs drilling federal leases offshore increased by 2 to 14, all in the Gulf of Mexico.

Of the US rigs working, 982 were drilling for natural gas, 3 more than the previous week. The number drilling for oil jumped by 11 to 591. There were 12 rotary rigs unclassified. Horizontal drilling dropped by 1 unit to 858 rotary rigs. Directional drilling increased by 4 to 218.

Louisiana registered the biggest increase among major producing states, up by 8 rigs to 184 drilling. North Dakota added 4 rigs for a total of 126 working. West Virginia had 27 rigs making hole, 3 more than the previous week. Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, and California increased by 1 rig each to respective counts of 674, 71, 62, and 38. Oklahoma, Wyoming, Arkansas, and Alaska were unchanged at 132, 41, 38, and 5, respectively. Pennsylvania’s rig count declined by 2 to 88.

Canada’s rotary rig count dropped by 16 to 349 units still working, compared with 180 in the same period last year.